“It’s important for every club, of course it is, you always want to start the season well.

“But everybody knows, it’s universal in thinking that Manchester United have to start the season well.

“A few weeks ago, when Jose Mourinho said he handed that list over to his CEO to bring those signings in, he was calling it on, he was pressurising the board.

“Since then obviously they haven’t brought those players in and I think particularly in the areas of centre-back, where it’s been obvious to everybody for 12 months that Manchester United needed an outstanding centre-back or two, they haven’t got that.”